Home / What is MLD?
The method · South Berkeley
Manual Lymph Drainage is slow, precise work with a very light touch. I follow the pathways your lymph already uses and help fluid move away from areas that feel swollen, heavy, or stuck.
It does not feel like massage. The lightness is not me being cautious. It is the method.
In plain terms
Your heart pumps blood. Your lymphatic system has no pump like that. It depends on breathing, movement, and the gentle rhythm of the vessels themselves.
Most of the time, it works quietly and you never think about it. After surgery, injury, or damage to the system, fluid can begin to collect. That is when you may feel swelling, heaviness, tightness, or tissue that stays irritated.
Manual Lymph Drainage works with those vessels just beneath the skin. That is why the pressure is so light. Pressing harder does not move more lymph. It can flatten the tiny vessels I am trying to help.
The distinction that matters
The name on the door is not enough. Sometimes the certificate on the wall is not enough either.
What matters is what method the person learned, who taught it, how much supervised practice they had, what they were trained to assess, and whether they know when not to treat.
Massage therapy works mainly with muscles and connective tissue, and it may use moderate or firm pressure. I value this work, and I will gladly refer you for it when that is what your body needs. It is simply different from Manual Lymph Drainage.
This phrase can cover a very wide range of training. Some practitioners have strong massage credentials and years of lymphatic education. Others may have a private certificate that is difficult to verify.
A certificate can be real and still tell you very little. Ask who taught the course, how many hands-on hours it included, whether anatomy and contraindications were tested, and whether the practitioner has a credential you can check independently.
Some treatments use the lymphatic name but involve lots of oil, deep pressure, hard rolling, wooden tools, and dramatic before-and-after photographs.
That may be marketed as sculpting or body contouring. It is not Vodder Manual Lymph Drainage.
Vodder work should not feel as though someone is trying to force fluid through your body. The touch is extremely light, because the vessels being worked with sit just beneath the skin.
Vodder MLD is a specific method with defined pressure, direction, sequence, and rhythm. It requires formal training, supervised hands-on learning, and ongoing recertification.
This is the method I have practiced since 2009. Every other year, I return so another expert can watch my hands and correct the small things.
Before you book anyone, including me, ask what they trained in, who trained them, and when their work was last assessed.
Why are you here?
You do not need to know which category you belong in. Start with what feels closest.
After surgery or an injury, swelling can leave you feeling tight, heavy, sore, or limited in your movement. This is a large part of my practice.
Lymphedema and lipedema do not disappear after one visit. The goal is to help you feel better in your body and build care that is realistic to keep up.
Puffiness around the eyes or jaw, sinus pressure, and that heavy feeling in the face or head. These areas are all connected by the same drainage system.
Some people arrive tired but still braced, as though their body has forgotten how to settle. The slow rhythm of this work can help it begin to let go.
What to expect
I do not want you arriving unsure of what comes next.
By the time you come in, I know why you are here and what your body has been through. Eat something beforehand and drink normally. There is no special preparation.
The first session is 90 minutes. That gives us time to talk, look at what is going on, begin the work, and decide what makes sense next.
You are draped, and we talk about what you are comfortable with before I begin. I usually keep the room quiet so your body has a chance to settle.
Many people do. You are not missing the session. Your body may simply be feeling safe enough to let go for a while.
You may feel a little floaty, thirsty, or tired afterward. Get up slowly. I keep water here for you, so have some before you leave. Give yourself a gentler rest of the day when you can.
Before the next visit, I want to know how your body responded. Then we adjust the work instead of following the same plan no matter what.
What I will and will not promise
I would much rather you ask hard questions than book because someone made this work sound magical.
There is published research on Manual Lymph Drainage for lymphedema, recovery after breast cancer surgery, and swelling after surgery. Those are the areas where I am comfortable saying the work may be useful.
There are also claims I will not make. MLD is not a weight-loss treatment. I will not tell you it can cure lymphedema or lipedema, treat cancer, or “detox” your whole body.
The real work is useful enough. It does not need to be turned into a miracle. Bring me anything you have read or been promised, and we can talk through it together.
Sessions
Sessions are priced by length. I will recommend the amount of time that makes sense for the work, and I will tell you when a shorter visit is enough.
FreeAbout fifteen minutes on the phone with me. You tell me what is happening, I ask a few questions, and we decide whether this work is a good fit.
$230The first visit is always longer. We need time to talk, look carefully at what is going on, begin the work, and decide what should happen next.
$180A focused session once I know your body, how it responds, and where the work is most needed.
$230More time for full-body work, a lymphatic facial, a Nervous System Reset, or a situation that simply needs a slower pace.
Coming regularly? Continuing Care gives established clients a standing monthly appointment →
Before you call
No. The pressure is about the weight of a hand resting on your skin. It should never be painful. If anything feels uncomfortable, tell me and I will adjust.
Not always. “Lymphatic massage” can describe many different kinds of training and technique. Vodder Manual Lymph Drainage is a specific method with formal certification and ongoing recertification.
Ask any practitioner you are considering, including me, what they trained in and when their work was last assessed.
It depends on why you are coming. Recovery after surgery may involve several visits over a few weeks. Lymphedema usually needs ongoing management. Some concerns need only a few sessions.
I will give you a realistic range when we talk, then adjust it based on how your body responds. I will also tell you when you no longer need to keep coming.
No. MLD can move fluid and reduce swelling or puffiness, which may change how your body looks and feels. That is not fat loss, and I will not describe it as though it were.
It is appropriate for many people, but not for every person or every moment. Certain heart or kidney conditions, active infection, a possible blood clot, and some stages of cancer treatment may require medical clearance or a different plan.
That is one reason I speak with everyone before the first visit.
Because I need to hear what happened before I work on a swollen, injured, or post-surgical body. A booking form cannot ask the next question when something important comes up.
Every new client begins with a conversation with me.
Get up slowly. I keep water here, so have some before you leave. Try not to rush straight into something demanding when you can avoid it.
Pay attention to how your body feels later that day and the next morning. I will want to hear about it.
I do not bill insurance directly. Some clients use an HSA or FSA, or request reimbursement themselves. I will provide a printable PDF invoice to make that process as easy as possible.
If your insurance covers lymphedema treatment or another service you need, please use that benefit. My care can work alongside it rather than replacing it.
The next step
Tell me what is going on. I’ll listen, ask a few questions, and we’ll work out together whether this feels like the right next step for your body right now.
If it does not, I’ll help you think through what kind of care may fit better.
The call is free, and you will speak with me.